Breathing gas humidifier systems are preferably used in the artificial respiration of patients, and respirators with a fan generating a continuous respiration pressure are also increasingly used for respiration in the home, especially also for the treatment of sleep apnea. To prevent the respiratory tract from drying out, there is a need for breathing gas humidifier systems, which have a simple design and can be operated in a simple manner.
The drawback of the breathing gas humidifier systems known so far, as described, e.g., in DE 296 17 077 U1, is that to equalize the pressure in the apparatus, the water fed in from sterile water containers has a direct connection to the environment, through which germs may spread over time. Moreover, breathing pressure cannot build up in the breathing gas line to the patient when this prior-art humidifier system is used for respirators with continuous respiration pressure, because there is a pressure equalization with the environment in the area of the water distributor.